Pressure sealing arrangements



Dec. 13, 1966 D. c. M KELLAR ETAL 3,291,349

PRESSURE SEALING ARRANGEMENTS Filed June 19, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORSi puucmv 6. Me KELLAK GRAHAM w. Koemmmw Amm/s Dec. 13, 1966 D. c. M KELLAR ETAL 3,291,349

PRESSURE SEALING ARRANGEMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1964 km H D \2? 30 INVENTORSI DUNE/7N 3 Me KELLAR GRAHAM kl RaBEKTJr/AW BY Qw-GMwfiL Dec. 13, 1966 D. C. MCK LL R ETAL 3,291,349

PRES SURE SEALING ARRANGEMENTS Filed June 19, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet r mvs N TOR 5 D0! cnu C. M: A's/.4 A R GRA mm hl. Raamnunu United States Patent Ofiice 3,291,349 PRESSURE SEALING ARRANGEMENTS Duncan Campbell McKeliar and Graham William Robertshaw, Altrincham, England, assignors to Sentrex Development Company Limited, a company of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man Filed June 19, 1964, Ser. No. 376,481 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 22, 1963, 24,926/ 63 15 Claims. (Cl. 226-200) This invention concerns pressure seal arangements and particularly, though not exclusively, relates to such arrangements for use on or in relation to textile m-achinery.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an effective pressure seal arrangement primarily for use in connection with textile machinery where it is required that one or more webs or like structures be passed continuously or discontinuously into a pressurised or evacuated container or between containers at different pressures without significant passage of fluid through the seal arrangement.

According to the present invention a pressure seal arrangement comprises an orifice in the container to be sealed, a lip formation about the periphery of such orifice and a moving surface adapted to contact said lip formation over the full extent thereof and to bear thereagainst, the lip formation and/or the moving surface being resiliently deformable, thus to allow pasage therebetween of a web or the like whilst retaining an effective seal over the full extent of the said lip formation.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating two particular embodiments thereof, and in which:

FIG.-l shows, in side elevation and partly in section, a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a second embodiment, such embodiment being a modified form of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken through a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse section through another embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a pressure seal arrangement comprises an upstanding lip formation 11 about an orifice 12 in a container '13, -a roller .14 aligned with the orifice 12 and of a greater length than such orifice so as to extend beyond the ends thereof and means for loading said roller 14 into contact with the lip formation 11.

The lip formation 11 is of polished stainless steel and is secured to the container 13 by any convenient means. If preferred a surface coating of polytetrafluorethylene can be applied to the lip formation 11, such coating reducing the cloth friction at the formation.

The roller 14 has a resilient surface applied thereto, such surface being defined by a rubber sleeve 16, the said rubber being highly resistance to wear and to the effects of temperature and of 4045 Shore Hardness, the sleeve 16 being approximately three quarters of an inch thick.

The roller, being driven by means not shown, is loaded into contact with the lip formation 11 by applying screw pressure to the roller arbor, the said roller arbor being vertically adjustable in slides provided in end pillars 17. The pressure applied is dependent upon the nature of the web being processed and upon the pressure difference between the interior of the container and the outside pressure and will be such 'as to gain an effective seal at 3,291,349 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 the roller and lip formation outwardly of the edges of the web.

The web 18 is entered into the container between the roller and the lip formation and passes outwardly from such container in a like manner, as indicated, such guide rollers being provided as are necessary to maintain directional control of the material under processing.

The arrangement as shown in FIG. 1 can be modified with advantage by utilising an alternative form of loading means, by providing a means for locking the lip formation, by locating a heat insulating layer between such lip formation and the container and in other ways. Thus, referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, in which like reference numerals to those of FIG. 1 are used for the same or equivalent parts, a pressure seal arrangement comprises an upstanding lip formation 11 secured to the container 12 and against which a roller 11-4 is resiliently loaded by means 1-5. Channels 11a are provided in the lip formation and are arranged to receive cooling water or other medium thus to maintain the temperature thereof at a required low-level. A packing piece 1'? of a heat insulating material is positioned between the lip formation and the container thus to reduce the rate of heat transfer between such container and the lip formation. The loading means 15 takes the form of a piston and cylinder arrangement to which pressure fluid is applicable, the piston of such arrangement controlling the position of the roller arbor bearing blocks longitudinally of slides 20 in the end pillars 17. The rotation of the roller 14 is effected by way of a chain drive assembly the chain 21a of such assembly engaging an appropriate sprocket wheel 21b secured to the roller arbor 140. Guide stops 11b are provided at each end of the orifice such stops serving to avoid a spread of the rubber covering to the roller 14 when the latter is under pressure and particularly when the said covering is of a comparatively soft rubber.

In a still further alternative embodiment, not shown, the container can be provided with two orifices, each such orifice being provided with a roller as above described, and the web entering the container through one orifice and leaving through the other.

As an alternative to using a roller in contact with a lip formation disposed about the orifice it is possible to use an endless band and to pass the web into the container between such band and the lip formation. Such arrangements are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and referring now to FIG. 5 a container 22 is provided with an orifice 23 about which is disposed a lip formation 24, such formation being secured to the container by any convenient means, a layer of a heat insulating material 25 being provided between the container and the lip formation 24. An endless band 26 is supported on rollers 27 and is so positioned that the lower run 26a thereof bears against the formation 24. A web 28 is fed to the nip 29 between the underside of the band and the front lip 24a of the lip formation and passes from such nip into the interior of the container. After treatment within the container the web 28 passes therefrom through the nip 30 between the rear lip 24b and the band 26. The tension in the endless band, such band being driven by means not shown, is adjustable by an adjustment screw 31 adapted to vary the position of one of the rollers 27 and, if desired, additional loading may be applied at the orifice by a roller 32 bearing downwardly on the upper surface of the lower run of the band.

The moving surface, as constituted by the surface of the roller 14 or by the band 26 may require lubrication by, for example, water, soap, silicone or from the natural moisture content of the web being processed but the amount of lubrication required is slight.

In some instances it may be found more convenient to locate the roller 14 of FIGS. 1 or 2 within the container so as to bear upwardly and outwardly against the orifice, such an arrangement being illustrated in FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The manner in which the pressure is applied at the seal may be varied having regard to the specific application of the seal arrangement but we have found it convenient to utilise the arrangement of FIG. 4 where upward pressure is applied to the roller arbors from screw loading device through linkage members 15a pivotally secured to the end pillar 17 and arranged to urge the bearing blocks in an upward direction. Channels 11a are provided in the lip formation to receive cooling media as has hereinbefore been referred to and insulating material 19 is located between the container and the lip formation. The pressure within the container, if such pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, will assist in maintaining the seal.

In the embodiments hereinbefore described the requisite resilience has been gained from the moving pressure surface. It is to be appreciated, however, that the lip formation could present the resilience if preferred, or alternatively, both the lip formation and the moving surface could contribute to the resilience.

We believe the seal arrangements as hereinbefore described to be effective in operation. In using the arrangements as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings we have found it possible to pass a cotton material weighing 4 oz. per square yard through the apparatus and to maintain an internal working pressure of some 60 pounds/ square in. with a slot width of 7 inch and a pressure equivalent of 45 lbs. per inch width of roller face, the rubber covering on the roller being approximately W inch thick and of rubber of 4050 Shore hardness, and the average width of rubber contact along each edge of the sealing strip being approximately /a inch.

The applications of the seal arrangement of the present invention are many and varied, and extend beyond the field of textiles in general, but in all applications the functioning of the seal arrangement will be the same. The arrangement will serve to maintain a pressure within a container during passage of a web therethrough and will maintain sensibly constant the pressure difference between two containers in a like circumstance without significant leakage.

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure seal arrangement comprising an orifice in the container to be sealed,'a lip formation about the periphery of such orifice, a moving surface adapted to contact said lip formation over substantially the full extent thereof and means for pressing said lip and surface against each other sufficiently to create a positive pressure between them, at least one of the mutual contacting surfaces defined by the moving surface and the lip formation being resiliently deformable thus to allow passage therebetween of a web or the like whilst retaining an effective seal over the full extent of the said lip formation.

2. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the moving surface is resiliently deformable.

3. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 2 which includes a rotatably mounted roller structure disposed adjacent to the lip formation and in contact therewith, the said structure presenting the moving surface and such surface being resiliently deformable.

4. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said roller structure includes a resilient sleeve and a roller member, the said sleeve being disposed about the said member and movable therewith.

5. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lip formation includes channels therein to receive cooling media therethrough.

6. A pressure seal arrangement which includes a roller disposed adjacent an orifice in a container, a resiliently deformable sleeve about the said roller and secured thereto for motion therewith, a lip formation located about the periphery of the orifice, the said sleeve contacting the lip formation over substantially the full extent thereof and bearing thereagainst, and loading means for pressing said sleeve and lip against each other sufficiently to create a positive pressure between them.

7. A pressure seal arrangement for a container orifice which includes a lip formation disposed about the said orifice and outwardly of the container, a pressure roller rotatably mounted adjacent the orifice and in alignment therewith, a resiliently deformable sleeve about the said roller and secured thereto, and loading means for pressing said sleeve and lip against each other sufficiently to create a positive pressure between them.

8. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the lip formation has channels therein to receive cooling media.

9. A pressure seal arrangement for a container orifice which includes spaced support pillars disposed adjacent opposite ends of the said orifice, a roller member mounted in said support pillars for adjustment of position relative thereto, a resiliently deformable sleeve about the roller member, a lip formation extending around the periphery of the orifice and with which the sleeve member makes contact over substantially the full longitudinal extent thereof and loading means for pressing said sleeve and lip against each other sufficiently to create a positive pressure between them, the said roller member having arbors thereto which engage the support pillars and the said loading means bearing against the said arbors.

10. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 9 wherein guide stops are provided at each end of the orifice to prevent the spread of rubber thereto.

11. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein channels are provided in the lip formation to receive cooling media.

12. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 11 wherein a heat insulating packing is provided between the lip formation and container.

13. A pressure seal arrangement for a container orifice which comprises a lip formation disposed about the said orifice, a moving surface adapted to contact the said formation over substantially the full extent thereof, and means for urging the moving surface against said lip sufficiently to create a positive pressure between them, at least one of the mutually contacting surfaces defined by the moving surface and the lip formation being resilient ly deformable, thus to allow passage therebetween of a web or the like whilst retaining an effective seal over the full extent of the said lip formation.

14. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 13 wherein the moving surface is defined by the surface of an endless belt.

15. A pressure seal arrangement as claimed in claim 14 including a pressure roller so positioned as to urge the belt into sealing contact with the lip formation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1926 Minton 226119 X 6/1957 Mills 226-176 X 

1. A PRESSURE SEAL ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING AN ORIFICE IN THE CONTAINER TO BE SEALED, A LIP FORMATION ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SUCH ORIFICE, A MOVING SURFACE ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID LIP FORMATION OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL EXTENT THEREOF AND MEANS FOR PRESSING SAID LIP AND SURFACE AGAINST EACH OTHER SUFFICIENTLY TO CREATE A POSITIVE PRESSURE BETWEEN THEM, AT LEAST ONE OF THE MUTUAL CONTACTING SURFACES DEFINED BY THE MOVING SURFACE AND THE LIP FORMATION BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE THUS TO ALLOW PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN OF A WEB OR THE LIKE WHILST RETAINING AN EFFECTIVE SEAL OVER THE FULL EXTENT OF THE SAID LIP FORMATION. 